Kadiatu Kargbo, the wife of late community radio journalist, Samuel Brima Mattia, took the stand at the High Court in Freetown on Wednesday, tearfully recounting the events leading up to her husband’s death.

Mattia, who was the Head of Programmes at Voice of Peace and Development (VOPAD) radio, was found dead in January 2025 under suspicious circumstances. His friend and colleague, Joseph Mendel Lamin, along with two others, is on trial for conspiracy to commit murder and murder.

Kargbo described the final day she saw her husband alive, stating that Samuel left their home on January 15, 2025, for his work at VOPAD radio in the Waterloo area of Freetown.

She said that he briefly returned home around 6:00 PM to eat before heading back to the station to park his motorbike for the evening. “He did not return home at the usual time of 10:00 PM,” Kargbo told the court. “I called his phone several times but got no response.”

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The distraught wife explained that she then called the first accused, Joseph Mendel Lamin, to inquire about her husband’s whereabouts. Lamin, she said, assured her that Samuel was not at the radio station but told her to rest assured that her husband would eventually return home.

However, after hours passed with no word from her husband, Kargbo became increasingly concerned and informed her mother-in-law of the situation. She was later accompanied by Samuel’s younger sister to the radio station. There, they found Lamin, but again he claimed to have no knowledge of Samuel’s whereabouts.

Kargbo testified that the chairman of the radio station’s board arrived shortly afterward, entered the building, and returned a few minutes later to announce that they needed to go to the police station.

Lamin, according to Kargbo, initially decided to take a commercial motorbike instead of joining the group in the car, citing a lack of space. However, the board chairman insisted that Lamin ride with them.

Upon arriving at the police station, Kargbo said they were told to go home. Some time later, she was informed that Samuel’s body had been found at a location known as “Mercy Ship.”

Kargbo said she later made a statement to the police regarding her husband’s disappearance and death. “It was only after several hours that I was told my husband’s body had been found,” she said, wiping tears from her eyes in the courtroom.

Earlier in the trial, the first prosecution witness, Shebora Bangura, who worked at the radio station’s phone charging department, testified that he had interacted with Lamin on the evening of Samuel’s disappearance.

Bangura explained that Lamin had asked him to notify him when Samuel returned to the station, which he did around 8:00 PM. Bangura stated that Lamin, who was already outside the building, returned to the office at that time.

At 9:00 PM, Lamin reportedly asked Bangura to go home and retrieve his (Lamin’s) phone. After returning, Bangura said Lamin asked if he had seen anyone around, to which Bangura replied that he had only noticed a woman leaving the station. He returned to his office and continued with his work, but as the night wore on, he became concerned when Samuel did not return at the usual time.

Bangura testified that he asked Lamin about Samuel’s whereabouts, but Lamin told him to go home, adding that he would use spare keys to lock the station. The following morning, Bangura arrived at the station to find all the doors locked. He collected the spare keys and, accompanied by Lamin, opened the station. During their time inside, Bangura overheard people outside discussing Samuel’s disappearance.

Bangura also confirmed that he and Lamin were both detained by police after being ordered by the radio station’s chairman to report to Kissy Town Police Station. While in police custody, Bangura said he learned that Samuel’s body had been discovered. He was later transferred to the police Divisional Headquarters in Waterloo, where he made a statement and was released.

Joseph Mendel Lamin, along with Morlai Kamara and Umarr Turay, the second and third accused, are facing two charges: conspiracy to commit murder and murder in connection with the death of Samuel Mattia. The trial, which began earlier this year, continues on Thursday, November 27, 2025.